Written by: Neil Frawley

With just three games under their belt, it’s too early to talk season standings or project end-of-season results for the VSU Blazer volleyball team. However, three games are enough to provide a sample size to pick apart and analyze all that was worked on throughout the preseason. Before the Blazers embark on their upcoming road trip, here is a brief look at all you need to know about VSU’s 2014 campaign.

The Good:

• The Blazers are 3-0 and have lost only two sets.
• Kelsey Hedman was named one of this week’s Blazers of the Week. The senior outside hitter recorded 20 kills and a hitting percentage of 36.8 in 11 starts.
• Jessica Codato leads the team with 87 assists and also has 15 kills to add.
• Transfer Lea Jaklen leads the team in kills per set at 3.18 percent and in total kills with 35.

The Bad:

• Although the Blazers are 3-0 and haven’t had to face a fifth set, coughing up a 24-16 lead against Albany State and a 15-6 lead against Columbus State are calls for concern.
• The Blazers, although showing improvement in their service, have 16 serving errors with an average of 2.3 per set.
• After opening the season at home, the Blazers won’t play their next home game until Sept. 19, with long road trips to Cleveland, Tennessee; Rome, Georgia; and Pensacola, Florida between now and then. The 1,260 miles the team will travel is the longest the team will have travelled all season.

The Ugly:

• Senior Krista Bradford, after sustaining a leg injury against Lynn University, did not play in the Blazers’ contest against CSU. Details on her condition remain unknown. On a positive note, the team saw sophomore Natalia Campos return to action. Campos suffered an ankle injury during the preseason.